iCloud is Apple's cloud platform that serves and secures all Apple devices. It can save and synchronize all your photos, contacts, files, reminders, and notes, and you can also use it to store device backups. You can access and manage your ‌iCloud‌ data on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and the web. Keep reading to learn how.

mac iphone ipad apple tv
‌iCloud‌ stores your content securely and keeps your apps up to date across all your devices. That means all your data is safe and accessible wherever you are where there's an active internet connection available.

‌iCloud‌ Backups are another indispensable service from ‌iCloud‌. With an ‌iCloud‌ Backup of your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, you can restore it on a new device, or use it if you need to erase or restore a device.

‌iCloud‌ comes with 5GB of free storage and you can add more storage at any time. The 50GB plan costs $0.99 per month, while the 200GB and 2TB plans cost $2.99 and $9.99 per month, respectively.

How to Access iCloud on iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Tap your name in the banner at the top.
  3. Tap iCloud.
  4. Use the toggles next to the apps and data for syncing or unsyncing them to ‌iCloud‌.
    icloud settings
  5. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup to automatically make backups of your iOS device to the cloud.
  6. Keep scrolling down to manage any third-party apps you have installed that can sync with ‌iCloud‌.

How to Access iCloud on Mac

  1. Click the Apple  symbol in the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Click System Preferences.... apple menu system preferences
  3. Click iCloud.
    system prefs
  4. Use the checkboxes next to the apps and data for syncing or unsyncing them to ‌iCloud‌.
    2how to access icloud mac

There's no option to back up your entire Mac to ‌iCloud‌, but you can do so locally by using an external drive and Time Machine.

How to Access iCloud in Windows

With ‌iCloud‌ for Windows, the photos, documents, and bookmarks on your PC are updated automatically on your Apple devices.

  1. Download iCloud for Windows.
  2. Restart Your Computer.
  3. Make sure ‌iCloud‌ for Windows is open. If it doesn't open automatically, go to Start, open Apps or Programs, and open iCloud for Windows.
  4. Enter your Apple ID to sign in to ‌iCloud‌.
    iCloud windows
  5. Use the checkboxes to select the features and data that you want to keep up to date across your devices.
  6. Click Apply.

How to Access iCloud From a Web Browser

  1. Visit the iCloud.com website on your web browser of choice.
  2. Enter your ‌Apple ID‌, password, and two-factor authentication code if the feature is enabled.
    icloudsettings
  3. Once logged in, you can use the ‌iCloud‌ web apps to access your data, documents, and photos. You can also use tools in Settings -> Advanced to recover files that have been deleted from iCloud, as well as recover Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders that have been lost.

Note that ‌accessing ‌iCloud‌‌ via the web is also handy for immediately signing out of all browsers that are signed into ‌‌iCloud‌‌ should you suspect someone has gained unauthorized access to your account and for managing apps that let people look you up using your ‌Apple ID‌. It also displays all devices you're signed into, offers up a look at available storage, and displays the members of your Family Sharing group.

Related Stories

Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2021 sales have now carried over into Cyber Monday as well. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro devices from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models like iPhone SE. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate...

Best Cyber Monday Deals for AirPods, Apple Pencil, iMac, More

With Black Friday over, Cyber Monday 2021 is now in full swing and you can find many of the same sales as last week on Apple products like AirPods, Apple Pencil, and iPad Pro. In this article we're focusing on the best Cyber Monday discounts on Apple products like these and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we...

Apple Introduces New MacBook Upgrade Program for Business Partners

Monday November 29, 2021 7:38 am PST by Sami Fathi

In association with CIT as the financing partner, Apple has launched a new Mac Upgrade Program for small businesses and Apple business partners that allow companies to easily distribute and upgrade their fleets of MacBooks at an affordable price to all of their workers. As outlined on CIT's website, shared by Max Weinbach, Apple Business Partners can distribute the 13-inch MacBook Pro,...

Best Black Friday AirPods Deals Still Available

Black Friday 2021 deals are still going strong into Cyber Monday, and in this article we're tracking the best deals across Apple's AirPods lineup. Throughout the week we've been sharing the best sales for Apple devices like iPhone, Mac, and iPad, so be sure to follow us on Twitter for all of the latest Black Friday sales Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...

Kuo: Apple AR Headset Coming in Late 2022 With Mac-Level Computing Power

Thursday November 25, 2021 8:32 pm PST by Eric Slivka

Apple's long-rumored augmented reality (AR) headset project is set to bear its first fruit late next year with the launch of the first device carrying a pair of processors to support its high-end capabilities, according to a new research report from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo seen by MacRumors. According to Kuo, the higher-end main processor is said to be similar to the M1 chip Apple...

Best Black Friday iMac and MacBook Deals Still Available

Our Black Friday 2021 coverage continues with the best deals you can find on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini today. As with all Black Friday deals, we aren't sure how long any of these will last, and prices are always fluctuating, so if you see something you want, be sure to buy it soon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and...

Best Cyber Monday Apple Accessory Deals Available Today

We started sharing deals on Apple products for Cyber Monday 2021 earlier today, and now we're tracking deals and bargains available from all of the best Apple accessory companies. Similar to Black Friday, you can expect Cyber Monday savings from Twelve South, Nomad, Belkin, Casetify, and many more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and...